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The House on Thursday voted down HR 1722, the Telework Improvements Act. It would have greatly expand the ability of federal workers to telework. The bill failed because the measure failed to win a two-thirds majority of the lawmakers voting.

The bill is an ill-conceived and potentially disruptive measure. It would have imposed a one-size fits all telework mandate on Federal agencies that could have adverse effects on mission accomplishment goals. Instead, it would make much more sense - and wouldn't require legislation and all the political posturing that goes with it in a mid-term election year - to have OMB require that agencies identify and justify for OMB approval and categories of employees who wouldn't be eligible for teleworking, on the default basis that any that couldn't be so justifed would be deemed to be so eligible. This would allow each agency to tailor the use of teleworking to its own operating environment and make its case for its exclusion decisions to an outside fianl decision-making reviewer. Some such excluded categories would be no-brainers; for example, trades and crafts blue collar jobs would be necessarily almost totally excludable, given the nature of such work. But again, it is essential to give senior management input into this process on an agency-by-agency basis; otherwise the law of unintended consequences and good but misguided intententions could yet one more time "rear its ugly head." Of course, that wouldn't give congresspersons the opportunity for positive media soundbites and flattering articles in the Washington Post, which is to a large extent driving this business.

@Jeremiah... that is your typical fed mgmt mentality and it is exactly why Congress is pushing this as a law -- the fed mgmt IS the problem and can not be trusted to honor such a request. There are too many Managers and Supervisors that need to SEE a warm body sitting in the work cublicle, 8 or 9 hours a day, NOT what the daily mission or goal is for accomplishment. Everyone agrees that not all jobs would allow telework... but there are thousands that would allow it. Especially the admin/support type positions. I have not read this bill, but I am positive the authors realize that not all positions qualify. But it is proven (by the numbers) that mgmt refuse to move on this.. SO! Congress will step in...
It is nice to see the Democratic Congress supporting us federal workers... and I hope all you fed workers remember this on election day...